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In THE LAST REPORT ON THE MIRACLES AT LITTLE NO HORSE, Louise
Erdrich proves once again that she is a masterful storyteller. The
author of the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning novel LOVE
MEDICINE returns to the fictional North Dakota Ojibwe reservation
of Little No Horse and its vigorous, flawed, sometimes
supernaturally gifted residents Lulu Lamartine, Nanapush, and Fleur
Pillager.

The narrative is framed by a Vatican-initiated inquiry into the
possible sainthood of Sister Leopolda. The star witness in the
inquiry, and central character of this story, is the missionary
priest who remembers her all too clearly: Father
Damien…formerly Agnes DeWitt…formerly Sister Cecelia.
In the very first pages of the novel, we are introduced to the
kindly, elderly Father Damien and the secret of his gender. Father
Damien arrived at the Little No Horse reservation under false but
well-intentioned pretenses and carried out the work of the church
by converting inhabitants to Catholicism. By turn he questioned
their spiritual philosophy, forgave their trespasses and, finally,
took to his heart the Anishinaabeg's way of life.

Erdrich knowledgeably and compassionately conveys the desperation
of life on the reservation: the alcoholism, poverty, and exodus of
its youth. At the same time, we soon see past the descriptions of
the poor meals eaten and the horrific North Dakota winters endured
and become caught up in the trials and triumphs of their lives ---
which are always, in Erdrich's novels, the triumphs and
tribulations of human spirits everywhere --- and forget the
dramatic difference between that environment and ours. Having grown
up in the same region as Erdrich, the Red River Valley of
Minnesota, I recognize the landscape: the frozen fields, the black
skeletal oak trees of winter, the humble wild rice stands on the
edges of small reservation towns. But as a reader, the vivid
landscape recedes to the fringes of one's vision while the exploits
of Sister Leopolda and Fleur Pillager take center stage. This is
part of Erdrich's gift: to portray in an exacting, impressive way a
landscape that is alien to most in such a way that it begins to
feel natural to us and, finally, to become secondary to the
universal human experiences that take place there.

Father Damien's presence on the reservation brings into focus the
white man's forced and forceful role in reservation society. The
strict rules of Catholicism do not mesh easily with Native American
spirituality. At times, the two could not seem more different. But
Father Damien's mission becomes transmuted by his ongoing
interaction with the Ojibwe and he occasionally questions --- in
his conversations with the wise and wily Nanapush --- whether his
goal of conversion is indeed the right thing. When Father Damien
attempts to resolve the personal and religious issues that trouble
him most by writing letters to the Pope in Rome, mailing them off
in faith and receiving no response, he cannot help but admit the
reality, the tangibility of the Native American spirituality before
him, in the earth, in the rocks and trees. Life inside the rectory
and the convent, shown from 1920 to 1996 in this novel, is a world
of courageous perseverance in the face of doubt and compassion for
all, despite petty interior squabbles.

Father Damien's goal on the reservation shifts during his 75-year
tenure, from baptizing as many Native Americans as possible to
bestowing forgiveness on every confessor he comes across.
Forgiveness is a spiritual need Father Damien finds, as he contends
with his own mortal sins. Seeing that everyone from the most devout
parishioner to the most pagan resident has human failings, Father
Damien realizes that neither gender nor religious denomination
dictate the make-up of the soul, and he sets about righting the
crippling burdens of guilt that crush those around him.

One of the most fruitful friendships he has on the reservation, in
fact, is with the blissfully pagan and deliciously sly Nanapush.
Nanapush debates with Father Damien matters of the spirit, shares
funny stories and Native American myths and, most importantly,
lives a life of truth rather than piety. In a game of chess with
Nanapush one day, Father Damien is paralyzed with fear when
Nanapush indicates that he knows the secret of Father Damien's
identity…but in a reverse turn beautifully executed by
Erdrich, Father Damien realizes through his tears that Nanapush has
only used the revelation to distract him from the chess game.
Nanapush accepts Father Damien's spirit regardless of what is
underneath his cassock. Faced with this instinctive humanitarian
response, Father Damien is flabbergasted and inspired.

The threads of this story's beautiful, complex tapestry are
strengthened by humanity and colored by humor. Myths and anecdotes
such as the tragically hilarious incident involving undercooked
beans, moose droppings, and the love of a tough woman, all of which
result in Nanapush's death, are thankfully the norm with Erdrich.
Long live Nanapush!